I remember being pretty enthusiastic with Hrizg’s former Moribund-release, Anthems Of Decrepitude (released early May 2011; review in the Archive-section of Concreteweb, updated on July 17th 2011), and apparently there was an album before, 2007’s Oaken Path Of Grief, which I hadn’t heard before. This Spanish one-man army now returns with Individualism, a perfect title for an isolationistic entity.
Individualism is a step forward in coherence and performance, yet the initial approach remains the same. The album brings melodic Black Metal with a traditional fundament, lacking of modern trends, lacking of experimental-progressive outbursts, and lacking of exaggerated structures or tempos. The better part balances in between rather slow and rather fast, with some slower and some faster parts (that might be clear, I hope? ;-) I actually mean: no blasting eruptions), and the epic riffs and rhythm interact well with the dark atmosphere. Some tracks stand out by having a unique structure, or because of a supportive addition (cf. The Hall Of Falseness And Impurity, with its sacral outro, or the oppressive keyboard lines in Doom / Death inspired epic With A Crown Of Bitterness), and not a single one disappoints. The sepulchral production too is a surplus, for creating a sound so dense and necrotic, desolate and dreamy… and the general atmosphere balances in between desolate, little funereal despair and misanthropic, occult obscurity.
In short: Individualism does not renew at all, but in general the result is exceptionally attractive.